Take a direct daytime flight from London to Lisbon, aiming to arrive early afternoon rather than setting off at dawn. The flight takes roughly 2¾ hours; allow extra time for airport formalities and the journey into town. From Lisbon Airport, the Metro to Baixa takes around 25–35 minutes, usually with a change at Alameda; a taxi is more convenient with luggage and takes roughly 20–30 minutes, traffic permitting.
After dropping your bags, walk down to Praça do Comércio for an easy riverside introduction to the city. Continue along Rua Augusta to the Arco da Rua Augusta. The viewpoint is optional if you’re tired or keeping spending tight; allow about 45 minutes if you go up. Then stroll towards Rossio and A Ginjinha. A small drink is optional, and you can skip it if you’d rather save room for dinner.
Finish at Casa do Alentejo. Budget roughly €20–€35 per person for dinner; treat that as an estimate and check the venue’s hours and menu nearer the date. Keep the rest of the evening easy—there’s no need to squeeze in another attraction on arrival day.
For the full seven days, one working budget for both of you is £1,690, including a £150 contingency: flights £300; six nights’ accommodation £540; Lisbon–Porto train £90; local transport £70; food and drink £420; paid sights £120; contingency £150. That leaves £110 below your £1,800 limit. These are planning allowances, not confirmed fares or bookings; the flight and train allowances assume you find suitable advance fares, and accommodation costs depend on what is available for your dates.
Prices actually checked: none. I have not checked live fares, accommodation availability, menus, admission prices or opening hours, and have not booked or contacted anyone. The budget figures and the meal range above are estimates; confirm current prices before you commit.
Start at Sé de Lisboa, then follow the steep, cobbled streets uphill to Castelo de São Jorge. Allow about 45 minutes at the cathedral and 1.5–2 hours at the castle; visiting access, opening times and admission can vary, so check them nearer the date. Grippy shoes are useful on Alfama’s slopes.
Walk downhill to Miradouro das Portas do Sol, then continue towards Feira da Ladra in São Vicente. The market is held on Tuesdays, making it a good fit for today; allow about an hour to browse, though the stalls you find will vary. It’s a hilly walk, so take a break or use a taxi if you’d rather save your legs. Keep small purchases in cash and your belongings secure in the crowds.
Return to Alfama for dinner at a local Portuguese restaurant. Budget around €20–€35 per person, depending on your order and drinks; this is an estimate, not a checked menu price. Leave some time afterwards to wander the lanes, and save the restaurant’s location on your map before setting off.
For the full six-night trip, a revised planning budget for two is £1,740 total, including a £150 contingency: return open-jaw flights from London to Lisbon and Porto to London £300; six nights’ accommodation £540; Lisbon–Porto train £80; local transport £70; food £420; activities and entry fees £180; contingency £150. These are planning estimates, not confirmed fares or bookings. I have not actually checked any prices or availability, and haven’t booked or contacted anyone. Choose flight times that avoid very early departures or late arrivals, and check the 2027 schedules and fares before committing; no day trips are included.
Take the 15E tram from central Lisbon to Belém; allow roughly 30–40 minutes, depending on traffic and your starting point. Aim for an early arrival at Mosteiro dos Jerónimos. Opening arrangements and access can change, so check them nearer your visit. To protect the overall budget, focus on the church and other free areas rather than assuming paid cloister admission.
Walk to Pastéis de Belém for a tart and coffee; allow around €5–€12 per person as a planning estimate. Continue on foot along the waterfront to Padrão dos Descobrimentos for the views, keeping the tower visit optional. You can then wander around MAAT – Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology and its riverside surroundings; check current exhibition access and admission before deciding whether to go inside.
Finish with dinner at O Frade. Allow roughly €20–€35 per person for a modest meal, as an estimate rather than a quoted or confirmed price; choose dishes to share and skip drinks if you want to keep the day’s spending down. Take the 15E or another suitable public-transport connection back to central Lisbon, leaving extra time for traffic.
For the full seven-day trip, a revised planning budget is £1,750 for both, including £250 contingency: flights £240, six nights’ accommodation £540, Lisbon–Porto train £100, local transport £90, food £350, sightseeing £180 and contingency £250. These are estimates, not fares or bookings, and the total is strictly below £1,800. I have not live-checked any prices; 2027 flight, accommodation, rail, admission and food costs remain unconfirmed. No day trip is included, and the flight allowance assumes reasonable daytime flight times rather than the cheapest possible departure.
Have lunch at Time Out Market Lisboa in Cais do Sodré. To keep today’s share of the budget sensible, look for a straightforward counter meal and a drink rather than a full spread; allow about €10–€18 per person (estimate). Walk uphill to Chiado afterwards, roughly 10–15 minutes depending on your route.
Visit the Museu Nacional de Arte Contemporânea do Chiado if it is open on the day; allow about 1–1½ hours. Admission and opening arrangements may change, so check the museum’s official information nearer the trip. Then stroll to Largo do Carmo for the square and convent ruins, followed by a browse at Livraria Bertrand. These are close together, leaving time to wander rather than rushing between stops. Set aside roughly €5–€10 per person for museum admission as a planning allowance; the square and browsing are free.
Finish with a simple dinner at a casual tasca in Chiado. Allow roughly €12–€20 per person (estimate), and choose from the menu to stay within that range. Today’s food and activity allowance is about €27–€48 per person, excluding any extra shopping.
For the whole seven-day trip, a working estimate for two is £300 flights, £600 accommodation, £100 Lisbon–Porto train, £420 food, £100 local transport, and £150 sightseeing: £1,670, plus a £100 contingency, for a total of £1,770. That keeps the planned total strictly below £1,800, but relies on finding flights and accommodation within those allowances. I have not checked or confirmed any prices; these are planning estimates, not live quotes, and no booking or contact has been made.
Take a late-morning train from Lisbon to Porto; the journey is around 2h50, with some extra time needed for getting to and from the stations. The 2027 timetable and fares are not yet confirmed, so leave flexibility in your plans. After arriving at Campanhã, allow time for the local connection into the centre and any luggage drop-off before sightseeing.
At São Bento Station, the tile panels are in the public concourse, so you can take a quick look without arranging a separate visit. Continue uphill to Sé do Porto; allow about an hour for the cathedral area, and check current admission arrangements if you want to go inside. From there, head downhill towards Ponte Luís I. The upper deck is shared with the Metro, so use the pedestrian area and take care around passing trains.
For dinner, Casa Guedes is a casual option around Praça dos Poveiros. Budget roughly €10–€20 per person as an estimate, not a checked menu price. Keep the rest of the evening free to rest or wander nearby rather than packing in another paid activity.
To keep the full 7-day trip below £1,800 including food, a workable planning budget is: return London–Lisbon/Porto–London flights £300; six nights’ accommodation £540; Lisbon–Porto train £100; local transport £100; food £420; activities and entry fees £100; contingency £200. Estimated total: £1,760 for both, leaving £40 below the limit even with the contingency included. These are planning allowances, not quotes; this assumes budget accommodation and economy flights at reasonable times, and the flight and hotel amounts will depend on availability.
Prices actually checked: none. I haven’t accessed live fares, accommodation rates, menus, or admission prices, and haven’t booked or contacted anyone. The train fare range and meal costs mentioned here are estimates only.
Start at Mercado do Bolhão for coffee and breakfast, or pick up fruit and snacks for later. Allow about an hour and roughly €8–€18 per person for a light breakfast or market bites (estimate). Walk a few minutes along Rua de Santa Catarina to Capela das Almas; around 20 minutes is enough to take in its tiled exterior.
Walk south-west to Igreja do Carmo—about 15 minutes from the chapel—and spend 30–45 minutes around the church and square. Continue on foot to Jardins do Palácio de Cristal, roughly another 15 minutes. The gardens are a pleasant place to slow down after the busier centre; leave 1–1½ hours for the paths and viewpoints. Check access and opening details closer to the date, as these can change.
From the gardens, walk downhill towards Taberna dos Mercadores in Ribeira, allowing about 25 minutes and taking care on Porto’s steep, sometimes slippery streets. Budget approximately €25–€40 per person for dinner, excluding extras (estimate). It’s a small, popular restaurant, so check whether advance booking is possible when your plans are firm.
For the full 7-day trip, one revised planning budget for two is £1,750 total, including a £150 contingency: return/open-jaw flights from London £320; six nights’ accommodation £570; Lisbon–Porto train £100; local transport £90; food £420; activities and admissions £100; contingency £150. These are planning estimates, not quotes, and the total is £50 below the £1,800 limit. I have not checked any live prices or availability; no prices are confirmed. This assumes budget accommodation, modest meals, advance transport purchases where available, and reasonable flight times rather than the cheapest inconvenient departures.
Keep the final day local and unhurried: walk along the Atlantic at Foz do Douro, then head to Casa da Música in Boavista to admire the building. For a lower-cost day, enjoy the exterior rather than paying for a tour. A bus or taxi connects the two areas; check the route on the day, and leave time to return to central Porto for lunch.
Have lunch at Café Santiago in Centro; a francesinha is a substantial meal, with an estimated cost of about €12–€22 per person. From there, use the Metro or a taxi to Porto Airport. Choose a flight that leaves enough time for lunch and the airport transfer, and follow your airline’s check-in guidance. This is a city day, not a day trip.
Planning estimate for the full 10–16 May 2027 trip, including food and a contingency: flights £300; six nights’ accommodation £480; Lisbon–Porto train £90; local transport and airport transfers £90; food £420; admissions £60; contingency £150. Estimated total: £1,590 for two, leaving £210 below the £1,800 limit. This assumes economy flights, budget accommodation, mostly casual meals and restrained paid sightseeing; keep flight bags and any accommodation taxes within their allowances.
Prices actually checked: none. All figures above are unconfirmed planning estimates, not live quotes or bookings. Flight times, fares, lodging, train tickets and venue details should be checked before committing; the contingency is included in the total.
No packing list attached yet.